Farewell in an Embrace (Continued)

"Thank you, thank you..."

After learning from the police that their child had been rescued by Si Ming and his team, the two sets of parents were extremely grateful, almost to the point of kneeling down. One of the parents, who seemed to be quite well-off, even pulled out a check to express their thanks.

Normally, Si Ming, believing that "good deeds should be rewarded," would have accepted the reward, as this would encourage more people to do good. However, in front of Xie Xiaomei, he still intended to cultivate a noble image of "honesty in returning lost property" and "doing good without seeking profit." After all, this is the moral exemplar in the public's mind. If he accepted the reward, it would feel as if his good deeds were negated by personal gain, losing that bright and shining halo.

More importantly, the other couple didn't seem well-off, and their faces were haggard. They must have spent a lot of money searching for their lost child. If Si Ming accepted the check from a family that wasn't short of money, they would have to give him money as a token of their gratitude; otherwise, it wouldn't make sense.

To avoid further burdening the family, Si Ming simply refused all offers, a decision that undoubtedly earned him even greater gratitude.

"Thank you so much! Xiaoshi, quickly kowtow to your benefactor!"

The parents immediately urged their child to kneel and kowtow. The child seemed somewhat bewildered, but he did as they said. The months he had spent in the hands of human traffickers had instilled in him a habit of obediently following adult orders, which was hard to say whether it was good or bad.

Overwhelmed by such heartfelt gratitude, Xie Xiaomei felt a slight fluster, but mostly envy. Looking at the two children wailing, she murmured, "How wonderful, they both cherish their parents."

In fact, it was thanks to Yu Shuying's timely intelligence that these children were able to remember their parents, which is why they had only been abducted for two months. If they had been abducted for two or three years, even their biological parents would have forgotten them and become strangers. In that case, their reaction would not be to wail and cry, or to recount their miserable treatment, but rather to stare blankly.

Si Ming hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Actually, the vast majority of parents in the world love their children very much, but in a big forest, there are all kinds of birds, and there are always a few exceptions. You were just unlucky."

Xie Xiaomei shook her head and said, "No, if I hadn't been lucky, I wouldn't have met you and Sister Qingqing."

"What you said isn't without merit. Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise. You can't simply judge a person's life by saying they were lucky or unlucky," Si Ming said with feeling.

Xie Xiaomei was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Let's go back. Knowing that their parents care about them makes me feel at ease."

Despite having a terrible childhood, she didn't want others to go through the same thing. Instead, she sincerely hoped that everyone could be happy—a naive thought, but also the purest.

By the time they returned to Liu Qingqing's house, it was nearly dusk.

When she arrived at her doorstep, Xie Xiaomei stopped, looked up, and said, "I used to be terrified of going home. I'd rather stay out late than go back. But now, all I want to do is get back here as soon as possible."

Liu Qingqing transformed into human form and said, "This is also your home; you are our family."

Xie Xiaomei's body visibly swayed. She turned around and said, "Perhaps... I died just to meet everyone. If I hadn't been captured by bad guys and turned into Law Treasure, I wouldn't have been residing in Sister Qingqing's body, nor would I have met Si Ming and Aunt Liu. Brother was right, every cloud has a silver lining. I understand the meaning of that now."

Si Ming said with a wry smile, "I'd rather you knew nothing."

"Even though Si Ming and Sister Qingqing might be angry if I say this, I still want to say that it's really great that I can die!"

Xie Xiaomei smiled sincerely and gratefully, "When I was with my mother, I was scared and sad, and there was nothing happy about it... But since I met everyone, I have been happy every day. Everyone treats me like real family. If, if there is anyone in my life who is willing to cherish me like this, then I want to continue living."

"Xiaomei..."

Liu Qingqing choked out a sob and stepped forward to hug Xie Xiaomei, because her body began to radiate starlight, unlike last time when it stopped after a while; this time it was a real countdown.

Xie Xiaomei realized this too, but there was no regret on her face. She simply said, "Can I make a selfish request?"

Si Ming, "Of course, either way is fine."

I want to see my aunt one last time.

"Let's go, we can't keep her waiting." Si Ming immediately pushed open the door and entered.

"When I heard a sound at the door, I guessed you were back. Perfect timing, I'll have dinner..."

When Auntie Liu arrived at the entrance and saw Xie Xiaomei radiating light, her eyes widened suddenly. She quickly understood the situation and revealed an extremely complicated expression.

Xie Xiaomei seemed oblivious to the other woman's change and asked with a smile, "Auntie, could you comb my hair again?"

"Hmm... okay, let's go to the inner room then."

Not wanting to spoil the other person's smile, Auntie Liu suppressed her sadness, pretended to be calm, and led Xie Xiaomei inside.

Just like last time, Xie Xiaomei sat in front of Auntie Liu, letting her comb her hair. But unlike last time, she was no longer nervous and reserved. She leaned back slightly, revealing a very comfortable expression.

"Do you like my hair styled like this?" Auntie Liu asked.

"Yes, I like it when Auntie combs my hair."

The more light Xie Xiaomei radiated, the more Auntie Liu pretended not to notice.

Why?

"Because it's warm, smells nice... and makes you feel especially at ease."

"I'm glad you like it."

"If there's a next life, can I be your aunt's child?"

Auntie Liu seemed struck by some kind of sorrow; tears welled up in her eyes, and her hand trembled slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and continued combing her hair.

"Silly child, what are you saying? Aren't you my daughter now? This is your home too, so you're always welcome to come back."

"Can I call you Mom?"

"Certainly."

Xie Xiaomei's voice grew weaker, her eyelids closed slightly, and her body leaned back limply. "Mom, it's so good that I can come to this family... I never knew Mom's embrace could be so... warm."

Feeling that the person in her arms had fallen asleep forever, Auntie Liu finally couldn't hold back her grief. Tears fell like broken pearls, turning into silent sobs. But her hands did not stop; she continued to comb her hair, as if she wanted to keep combing it forever.

(End of this volume)

Parallel World: Son of Exorcism

(This future side quest will begin when Si Ming travels to the Barbarian Continent and becomes a disciple of the Evil-Slaying Sword School Sect.)

At the Righteous Qi Peak, the Myriad Tribulations Mystic Light Array was activated, unleashing endless Sword Qi that swept across the mountain like a vast net, separating Yin and Yang and isolating it from the outside world. Meanwhile, a fierce battle was raging between a human and a monster at the summit, their fighting spirit gradually reaching its peak.